Attic ventilation system

ABSTRACT

An apparatus to ventilate attic space of a structure such as a home or building is provided. The apparatus includes a flexible air sealer and a fan housing unit. The apparatus is connected to trusses or rafters of the structure. The apparatus is placed directly below a roof vent, with the air sealer creating a seal between the fan housing and the roof vent. The air sealer supports propeller fans located in the fan housing. The airflow caused by the fan directs air into the flexible air sealer, through the openings of the roof vent, and out of the attic space. The apparatus may further include adjustable truss connectors that are removably attached to the air sealer and the trusses to allow the apparatus to be installed between variably spaced rafters.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/546,709 entitled “Roof Vent Attic Ventilation Fan” and filed Feb. 23, 2004. The disclosure of the above-mentioned provisional application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a ventilation system and, in particular, to an attic ventilation fan operable to remove heated air from the attic space of a building.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of attic ventilation fans is to remove heated air from the attic space of a building. The attic space typically includes the space below the roof a building, but above the ceiling of an occupied space below. This space, by virtue of its location in the building, traps heated air. For example, in the summer, the sun shining on the roof of a structure causes temperatures inside an attic to reach temperatures as high as 150° Fahrenheit. As a result, the attic floor is often insulated in an attempt to prevent heat from penetrating the attic floor into the occupied space below. Insulation, however, is only partially effective in preventing the flow of heated air from the attic to the cooler, occupied space below. This heated attic air results in higher temperatures in the adjacent occupied spaces of a building. These higher temperatures cause uncomfortable living conditions, as well as add wear and tear on air conditioning units, which must run continuously to keep occupied spaces cool. In addition, roofing material such as shingles literally bake from the inside, causing the shingles to crack and age prematurely.

Passive ventilation such as vents and soffits may be used to cool attic spaces. Attic vents are located as high in the attic as possible to allow hot air to escape, but prevent the elements such as rain from coming into the attic. The soffits are located at the lowest point in the attic under the eaves behind the gutters to allow cooler outside air to enter the attic. This passive ventilation system operates on the principle of convection. When the attic air is heated, the hotter air rises and leaves the attic via the attic vent. Conversely, cooler, outside air enters the attic via the soffits. Unfortunately, convection requires the attic air to be very hot before convection naturally occurs.

Typical vents include gable vents and roof vents. Gable vents are passive vents located on the side of the structure at the side wall's highest point. Roof vents are passive vents mounted over top of holes cut into the roof and are then sealed to prevent leakage. Roof vents include ridge vents or other roof vents that are incorporated into the roof itself. Ridge vents run horizontally along the ridge line of the roof where the two sides of the roof come together and meet at the very peak. Ridge vents are placed along the ridge peak of a building over top of a slotted opening placed in the roof. In theory, ridge vents ventilate hot attic air by permitting heated air to escape through the openings in the ridge, while allowing cooler, outside air to enter the attic via perforated soffits. The air movement using this system is, however, ineffective. Air movement is minimal, taking hours for super heated attic air to make its way out of the attic. A more effective manner of cycling air through a hot attic is necessary.

To improve the flow of heated air from an attic space, fans have not been provided to create a positive air flow. The removal of the heated attic air utilizing attic fans reduces attic temperatures, thus resulting in lower temperatures in adjacent spaces. Lower temperatures in spaces adjacent to the attic make those spaces more comfortable. Additionally, reduced temperatures in the adjacent living spaces require less work on the part of the building's air conditioner. When the air conditioner does not have to work as hard to cool the building, it saves on the wear and tear of the air conditioner unit. Another benefit to cooler attic spaces is that the shingles and other roofing material do not bake from the inside and therefore do not age prematurely. In summary, installing an attic fan makes the adjacent building space more comfortable, and extends the life of the building's air conditioner unit and roofing materials.

The prior art has attempted to address the problem of hot attic spaces by placing powered fans in the attic to force super heated attic air out of the attic. Traditional, through-the-roof attic fans such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,494 (Butler) can be used to force heated attic air out of the attic. This type of attic fan requires cutting a hole in the roof, thereby introducing the possibility of leaks. Shingles have a tar strip near the bottom edge of the shingle that creates a seal between that shingle and the shingle below it. If the attic fan was installed in a roof that was already shingled, the sealed shingles would have to be torn to make room for the attic fan flashing, increasing the likelihood of leaks. In addition, the whole installation process is complicated and time consuming.

The prior art has also attempted to address these problems by placing an attic fan inside the building. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,093 to Mihalko shows a radial flow impeller positioned inside a rigid air deflector assembly. Air is channeled through the roof opening by a deflector plate. Although it is not necessary to cut a hole in the roof to mount this invention, there is an economically fatal drawback. This invention is a very complex arrangement, making it expensive to produce and difficult to install. The air exiting the ridge vent would first have to enter the impeller intake ends. This would require a large impeller driven fan to move enough air to make an appreciable difference in the attic temperatures. It would be significantly more complicated and more expensive than a traditional attic fan. This would make it prohibitively expensive to bring to market. Consequently, it would be desirable to provide an economic ventilation configuration capable of efficiently and effective cooling an attic space.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, in light of the above, and for other reasons that become apparent when the invention is described, an object of the present invention is to provide a ventilation system capable of ventilating the attic space using a simple efficient design, that is both easy to manufacture and easy to install.

The aforesaid objects are achieved individually and/or in combination, and it is not intended that the present invention be construed as requiring two or more of the objects to be combined unless expressly required by the claims attached hereto.

The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof.

In accordance with the present invention, a ventilation system is provided including a novel design utilizing inexpensive materials along with existing passive roof vents to exhaust the heated attic air. A roof vent opening is typically located at or near the highest part of the attic to allow the hottest attic air to escape. The ventilation system of the present invention is placed inside the attic, directly underneath the roof vent opening. The ventilation system includes a fan housing and an air sealer in fluid communication with the vent. The air sealer creates a seal between the fan housing and the inside of the roof. The air sealer also acts as an air diverter, directing the air toward the vent. The air sealer may be constructed of flexible material such as a woven fabric (e.g., canvas). The fan, supported by the air sealer, may comprise inexpensive propeller fans positioned under the roof opening. The fan is configured to generate airflow that forces the hot attic air into the air sealer and out of the attic (via the roof vent opening). Adjustable connectors may be used to mount the ventilation system to rafters or trusses supporting the roof of a building. The adjustable rafter connectors and the flexible nature of the air sealer enable the ventilation system to be quickly modified for installation between variably spaced rafters. Once the ventilation system is mounted and powered, a positive air flow is created that forces heated attic air out of the roof vent, while drawing cooler, outside air is into the attic (e.g., via soffits or other external attic openings). The fan of the ventilation system may be externally powered and, optionally, controlled by common control devices such as variable speed fans, a thermostat, and/or a humidistat.

The benefit of the invention is to achieve attic ventilation without cutting a hole in the roof, thus reducing attic installation complexity, time and costs. In addition, the simplicity of the design allows for ease of manufacture and installation, resulting in a roof vent attic ventilation fan that is much less expensive than anything found in the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a ventilation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the interior of the system.

FIG. 2 illustrates a roof structure including the ventilation of FIG. 1, showing the ventilation system mounted inside an attic under a cutaway of a ridge vent.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front perspective view of the mounted ventilation system of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a ventilation system in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, showing a sliding air sealer that adjustably fits between variably spaced rafters.

Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements throughout this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a ventilation system according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown, the system 10 may include an air sealer 20 coupled to a fan housing 30 (also called a flow generator). The air sealer 20 includes a structure operable to direct air toward a vent located in the roof of a building. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the air sealer 20 may comprise a duct having open top and bottom ends. The air sealer 20 may be connected to the fan housing 30 such that a substantially fluid (air) tight seal is formed. Preferably, the air sealer 20 comprises flexible material to enable the sealer 20 to fit between variably spaced rafters (e.g., the flexible material may be contorted to fit a given space). By way of specific example, the material comprising the air sealer 20 may include flexible non-woven and woven material (e.g., canvas) attached to the perimeter of the fan housing 30.

The fan housing 30 may include one or more exhaust fans 40 configured to draw air into the sealer 20 and to direct the air toward the open top of the sealer 20 (and thus toward a vent located in the roof of a building, home, etc.). The type of fan 40 may include, but is not limited to, motor driven fans, variable speed fans, etc. Operation of the fan 40 may be controlled by a controller 50. The controller 50 may provide or terminate power to the fan 40. In addition, the controller 50 may be configured to engage and disengage the fan 40 when a predetermined parameter occurs (e.g., when a certain temperature or humidity level is achieved). Specifically, the controller 50 may include, but is not limited to, one or more of a thermostat, a humidistat, a variable speed controller, etc. The fan 40 and the controller 50 may be operatively connected to a power source through an electrical connection 60. The electrical connection 60 may connect to a power source such as a conventional outlet, a generator, etc. Alternatively, the ventilation system 10 may connect to a battery and/or solar power source.

The air sealer 20 may further include one or more adjustable connectors 70 (also called truss or rafter connectors) positioned along the exterior of the air sealer 20. The adjustable connectors 70 are detachable from the air sealer 20; consequently, the connectors 70 may be moved along the air sealer perimeter. With this configuration, a user can easily adjust the ventilation system 10 to fit within and connect to rafters of various sizes (i.e., rafters of standard and nonstandard sizes, as well as rafters spaced apart at varying distances). The adjustable connector 70 may include a clip portion and an extension portion. The clip portion may be configured to fit along the top, peripheral edge of the air sealer 20 such that it straddles both sides of the air sealer 20 (i.e., it may possess an upside-down-U shape). The clip portion may connect to the air sealer 20 using conventional, removable fasteners such as screws. The extension portion may extend outward from the exterior section of the clip (i.e., the section positioned on the exterior side of the air sealer). The extension portion provides an attachment point for the connector 70 (via fasteners such as screws, nails, bolts, etc.), enabling the repositionable attachment of the air sealer 20 to a rafter or truss. In addition, when the sealer 20 comprises flexible material, it may be easily manipulated (e.g., its length or width may be compressed or expanded between rafters) to adjust the fit for a given structure.

As discussed above, the ventilation system 10 is configured to attach to the rafters or trusses located in roof structures. FIG. 2 shows a cutaway section of a building roof structure 100 and the installation of the ventilation system 10 within the structure 100. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the roof structure 100 includes rafters 110 (supporting roofing materials) and a roof vent 120. The roof vent 120 comprises a conventional vent such as a ridge vent. A ridge vent 120 is typically connected to the roof along its ridge, positioned over the shingles and slots left in the roof structure 100 where the sheathing 130 on either side of the roof 100 meets (i.e., at the highest point along the peak of a building). Typically, ridge vents 120 run the whole length of the roof ridge.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ventilation system 10 is mounted between the rafters 110. Specifically, the air sealer 20 is connected to the rafters 110 using the adjustable connectors 70 such that the ventilation system 10 is suspended from the rafters 110 and hangs directly below the roof vent 120. The air sealer 20 is in communication with the roof vent 120, forming a substantially fluid tight seal. Installation of the ventilation system 10 requires only lifting the system 10 into place, attaching the air sealer 20 to the rafters 110 (via adjustable connector members 70), and connecting the electrical connection 60 (e.g., wiring) to a power source.

In operation, the system 10 is installed and the fan 40 is engaged. The fan 40 draws hot air into the air sealer 20, which, in turn, directs the air out of the attic through the openings in the roof vent 120 (i.e., to the outside environment). When additional attic openings such as soffits (not shown) are provided, the flow of air generated by the fan 40 of the ventilation system 10 also draws cooler (outside) air into the attic to replace the hot attic air. The result is a cooler attic, which, in turn, results in a cooler space adjacent to the attic. A cooler adjacent space would further result in lower costs to run an air conditioning, as well as would generated less wear and tear on the building's air conditioner unit itself. In addition to extending the life of the air conditioner unit, cooler attic temperatures will result in a prolonged shingle and roof life.

Another embodiment of the ventilation system 10 is illustrated in FIG. 4. Similar to that shown in FIG. 2, the ventilation system 10 is mounted under a cutaway ridge vent 120. The air sealer 20 comprises a rigid material such as steel or aluminum connected to the rafters through a track 200 forming a generally fluid tight seal with the roof vent 120. In addition, an extension 210 is provided having a sliding relationship with the track 200. For example, the extension may comprise interlocking, U-shaped rods that enable the extension 210 to slide into and out of the top end of the rigid air sealer 20. By way of specific example, the track 200 may have an upright-U-shaped structure, while the frame of the extension 210 may comprise an upside-down-U-shaped structure that interlocks with the track 200. This configuration enables the extension to contract (slide in) and expand (slide out) of the air sealer 20 to adjust the overall size of the ventilation system 10. The extension 210 may comprise flexible material 220, e.g., fabric such as canvas. The flexible material 220 prevents air from escaping out of the ventilation system 10, allowing the air to exit the building through the roof vent 120. This configuration enables the ventilation system 10 to fit between rafters or trusses 110 of various sizes. By way of example, the ventilation system 10 may be adapted to fit between rafters 110 spaced from about 16 to about 24 inches on center.

The above described design provides a universal ventilation system having a standard structure that may easily be installed into roof structures of various sizes, with rafters variably spaced apart. In addition, the flexible air sealer lends to the ease of manufacture and installation which reduces the costs to manufacture and install the roof vent attic ventilation fan. Furthermore, the installation costs of the attic ventilation system are reduced; consequently, it becomes economical to install the attic ventilation system of the present invention in structures where it might otherwise have been cost prohibitive. That is, the cost of an installed ventilation system in accordance with the present invention becomes less than the costs associated with not having an attic fan (which include higher A/C bills, as well as premature A/C unit and roof replacement costs).

While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Many other variations, embodiments, and modifications will occur to someone skilled in the art. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A ventilation system for use with a structure having a roof with a roof vent, the ventilation system comprising: an air sealer including first and second terminal ends, wherein said air sealer first terminal end is in fluid communication with said roof vent; and a fan housing including a fan operable to generate a flow of air toward said roof vent, said fan housing coupled to said second terminal end; wherein the ventilation system is operable to draw air from the structure into said air sealer and through said roof vent.
 2. The ventilation system according to claim 1, wherein said air sealer comprises flexible material.
 3. The ventilation system according to claim 2, wherein said roof is supported by trusses, and wherein said ventilation system further comprises adjustable connectors configured to secure said flexible air sealer to said trusses.
 4. The ventilation system according to claim 3, wherein said adjustable connectors may be repositioned along said flexible air sealer.
 5. The ventilation system according to claim 2, wherein said fan comprises a plurality of motor driven fans.
 6. The ventilation system according to claim 2, wherein said flexible air sealer comprises fabric.
 7. The ventilation system according to claim 2, wherein said fan is operatively coupled to a controller configured to engage and disengage said fan when a predetermined parameter is achieved.
 8. The ventilation system according to claim 7, wherein said controller includes one of a variable fan speed controller, a thermostat, and a humidistat.
 9. The ventilation system according to claim 1, wherein said air sealer comprises rigid material; and wherein said ventilation system further includes an extension configured slide into and out of said air sealer.
 10. The ventilation system according to claim 9, wherein said fan comprises a plurality of motor driven fans.
 11. The ventilation system according to claim 9, wherein said fan is operatively coupled to a controller configured to engage and disengage said fan when a predetermined parameter is achieved.
 12. The ventilation system according to claim 11, wherein said controller includes one of a variable fan speed controller, a thermostat, and a humidistat.
 13. The ventilation system according to claim 9, wherein said extension comprises flexible material operable to prevent air from escaping said ventilation system.
 14. A method of ventilating a structure having a roof with a roof vent, the method comprising: providing a ventilation system comprising an air sealer including first and second terminal end, and a fan housing including a fan operable to generate a flow of air toward said roof vent, said fan housing coupled to said second terminal end; positioning said air sealer first terminal end such that it is in fluid communication with said roof vent; and activating said fan to draw air into said air sealer and through said roof vent.
 15. The method according to claim 14 wherein: said roof is supported by trusses; said ventilation system further comprises adjustable connectors configured to secure said flexible air sealer to said trusses; and said method further including connecting said adjustable connectors to said trusses.
 16. The method according to claim 14, wherein said ventilation system further includes an extension configured to slide into and out of said air sealer; and wherein said method further includes sliding said extension into said air sealer.
 17. The method according to claim 14, wherein said ventilation system further includes an extension configured to slide into and out of said air sealer; and wherein said method further includes sliding said extension out of said air sealer. 